Anyone with any questions about W124 / W126 stereo installations pls read
 

Hi all fellow MBZ car audio enthusiasts.
Nothing makes me more mad and pi$$es me off more than when some car audio "pro" shop, who does not have the proper diagrams, books, or even the technical knowledge necessary to install a stereo system in our kind of unique W124 and W126 body cars, puts in an aftermarket system, and basically totally screws up the rest of the systems in the car, especially the anti-theft system (not to mention other issues).

Many car audio shops literally just "hack up" the wiring harness and , well, basically almost ruin the wiring by trying to install an upgraded car audio system.

I have had cars come in, one 1991 300E in particular, that the install shop actually ran a wire to the trunk and kept the old Becker head unit partially wired up (yes, in the trunk!) JUST TO KEEP THE ALARM FROM GOING OFF!!!!
Need I say, this shop was just horrible! I'm sure they were just fine doing an old Nova or Caddy lol.

I am a recording engineer by trade, and in the past AND present I have owned and worked on several 123's, 124's and 126's, and have done my own installs on audio as well as custom work for others.

I am here to offer my assistance to anyone who is in need , or has any questions about doing an installation by replacing your factory Becker with a newer head unit, upgrading speakers and amps.

Weather you decide to just replace your existing head unit, or decide to replace the whole system, Please shoot me an email.

I personally make some custom wiring harnesses that simply just plug into your factory harness.

No wire cutting, "tapping in" to wires, or splicing PERIOD!
And if you just have any questions, feel free to ask.
I will try my best to answer your questions. {I DO NOT charge for consultation on proper speaker sizes, recommended receivers and outboard gear, and I DO NOT sell new gear, so no worries about someone pushing you into something you may not need!} My main concern is that your Mercedes can be outfitted with a great system, without any permanent modifications, and can be returned to 100% stock if you choose to sell it so future owners are not plagued with wiring gremlins that an under-qualified stereo install shop may have caused.

The benefit of a proper install is, when you sell your car, it can be returned to 100% stock, and your original factory car harness will be UN-CUT and will simply just plug right back into your original factory Becker stereo.

I only do Mercedes W123, W124, and W126 cars.
Feel free to email me with any questions, wiring diagrams, etc to make your install go as smooth as possible.
I also have diagrams available for euro headlight conversions as well.
I am a W124 and W126 owner, and I am more than happy to help with that difficult stereo installation, or just to help by answering your questions.
Thanks !

How 'bout a wagon?
 

Hey W126Ken
What would you suggest for adding a little umph! in the rear of an 83 300TD?
Size and manufacturer?
Price not really an issue, but stock from other body styles or even makes would be ideal.
I live at the local JY's.
Wanting to provide a little more low end without resorting to an amp/bass tube scenario.
Old rear speakers are trashed and asking they be put down.
Thanks.

Hollywood

First thing I would do is replace the stock speakers with a good pair of aftermarket ones like Infinity, JBL or MB Quart. Stay away from EBAY off-brands and department store cheapies.

I believe the rear speakers are 4" in your wagon. And the front should be 4" as well.

You might be able to squeeze in a 5" speaker in the rear with some minor mods, but I wouldn't recommend it.

You have basically two choices with any of these brands.

You can go with the standard co-ax 2 way style, or a component system. The main advantage of the component system is that you can mount the tweeter separately, rather than hide it behind the factory grille.

This adds to cleaner "highs" and a choice of where you want to place the tweeter so it can be heard.

The other advantage is with component systems, you get a crossover network that sends the lows to the woofers and the highs to the tweeters.

On some crossovers, there are roll-off switches that let you customize the sound of that speaker to the place it is mounted.

This is mostly useful if you plan on running a sub-woofer, in which case you do not need to send a full-range signal to the speaker, only midrange frequencies.

I also highly recommend you purchase a pair of XTC foam baffles that go behind the speaker (www.crutchfield.com).

These baffles help in so many ways.

First, it reduces road noise.

Second, keeps moisture away from the speaker, and most importantly, improves the acoustic properties of the actual speaker itself.

As you know, if you pull out your stock speaker, and look into the hole, it is just a big, open "void".

Mercedes did not design this area to acoustically enhance the speaker.

It was just a convenient place for them to mount it.

Raw speaker drivers, of any kind, be it studio, or automotive, are designed to be used within a certain enclosure size.

Most people who install car speakers do not take this into account when they do an install!

This is why I recommend using those XTC foam baffles I talked about earlier.

These will seal the rear of your speaker, giving it tighter bass and also cutting out any road noise that leaks in through that void in the cars body, and will actually make the speaker sound louder.

Lastly is how much power you are giving the speaker itself.

Believe it or not, you can do much more damage to a speaker by under-powering it than by over-powering it.

Make sure your receiver can deliver a decent amount of power, or even better, get a dedicated amp to power the rear speakers.

You don't need billions of watts to drive them.

A good, clean solid amp delivering 30 to 50 watts should do just fine. Just make sure if you do go with the dedicated amp route for the rear, that it is properly grounded to the car, and at least 12g wire is used for the amp's main power.

And, don't forget to shop around.

Good example is Crutchfield wanted over $100 for a pair of Infinity's for my W126.

I ended up finding them on-line for about $60 shipped!!
And, since I have had them, I have had no problems period.

Hope this helps!
Good luck on your project and please let me know how it turns out!

W126Ken Advice for '95 SL500 owner please!
 

I have posted a couple of questions on this part of the forum with NO replies.
I was happy to read your comments on the 124 and 126 vehicles.
Can you help me with my 129?
Aren't the previous vehicles somewhat similar to the 129?
I don't know but I would love to replace my head unit and rear mounted amp with another head unit/amp and be able to use the existing speakers/wires and power wires, do you have any idea if this is a good idea?
I'm somewhat savvy but I don't want to buy all of the items and find out later it won't work easily.
Thanks for your postings, they are appreciated.
Steve

W126Ken Advice for '95 SL500 owner please!
 

Ken, I forgot to mention, I live in the Cleveland Ohio area and I travel to Pittsburgh a couple of times a month.
Let me know if you might be interested at looking at my 129 when I come through town.
Thanks, Steve

RE: W126Ken Advice for '95 SL500 owner please!
 

Hi Steve-
I would be happy to look at your car next time you are in town.
I actually live about an hour north of Pittsburgh.
PM me and I will get you my phone number and address.

RE: Advice for '95 SL500 owner please!
 

Hi Steve
The basic sound systems are quite similar to the earlier 126 and 124's, with some minor upgrades.

First thing to do is to upgrade the head unit and speakers.
Believe it or not, the factory amp in these are quite good actually.
With a new head unit and speaker upgrade, it will make a 100% difference.

As I said , first thing to upgrade is the head unit and speakers and then give your system a listen to and then make a decision if you want to upgrade the amp or not.

The factory amp does supply a good amount of power.

Enough power to drive almost anything out on the market today.

The factory speakers though, are still quite inadequate and very inefficient.

In my opinion, MB has never got the speaker and amp combo right.

The amps have always been well built, with lots of power, and the speakers just seem to be cheap units that distort and break up easily.

The best test to do with your car is to replace head unit and speakers, Leaving the factory amp intact, and take a drive with the top down and just make notes on how well it performs.

Its best to do two tests.
One with the top on, and one with it off.

The cars acoustics will most certainly change with the top off.

You will loose "reflected" sound, which makes the system seem louder than it actually is with the top off.

But with the right choice of speakers, this can be minimized.

I will be more than happy to help you in any way I can.

Well put and 100% agreed.
I am planning on replacing my speakers but haven't received any definitive suggestions as to size and model number of speakers that will suit a 1983 w126 300SD with minimal modification to speaker or car.

I can amp the rear, though for this installation I may just utilize head unit power.

Do you have model # recos for front and rear for this car?

Thanks for your post!

RE:1983 300SD
 

The front speakers, as well as the rear speakers in the pre-1986 W126 cars are 4"x6".

If you want to replace all of them , without any mods, I would suggest the Infinity Reference 6412CFP.

They are a perfect fit in the front and rear as well.
They are a two way "plate" style speaker, meaning both the mid bass driver and tweeter are mounted on a 4x6" plate with various mounting holes for different bolt patterns.

I have a pair in my front dash and I am very happy with them.
They can be had on-line anywhere from $30-$50.
I do recommend getting a pair of the XTC foam baffles I mentioned earlier to use in the front dash, and a pair for the rear deck.

Any good head unit with at least 20 watts of power will drive these speakers without the need for an amp.

If you do want to modify the rear deck, you may be able to fit a pair of 6 1/2" speakers, but this may require some cutting of both the deck and the sheet metal below, which I do not recommend.
The Infinity 6412's will give you great sound.

If you require a little more bass, you might want to consider a small sub-woofer.

Both JBL and Infinity make small units, and one of them is small enough to hide under your front seat, but if you do decide to use a sub, you will need an amp to power it.

All head units on the market today cannot supply both the watts and current that are needed to drive a sub properly.

Personally, I think you will be amazed at just how much of a difference just replacing the dash and rear deck speakers alone will make.
Hope this helps.

Need help. Read here:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/car-audio-multimedia/269673-help-alpine-install-94-e320-wagon.html#post2384643

I have a 1991 300SE and want to replace all of the speakers and head unit.

How many speakers and what size are they, also what would be the best speakers to put in the car.
Thanks,
Sba121400

The previous owner of my 300E chopped the old wiring harness to pieces [including removing the front/rear fader]

Up inside the dashboard, he used wire nuts to connect the power and front speaker wires.

I need to resolve some engine 'sudden death syndrome' problems first, but this spring I will want to rewire the stereo, using as much of the factory harness that has survived.

Speakers for 300SE
 

Your front speakers will be 4x6", and the rear will be 6 1/2". Personally, I would go with the Infinity reference series speakers, since they went into my car without any issues.

Now it is tricky to do the rear speaker.

Here is why.

When you remove your stock rear deck 6 1/2" speaker, you will notice that it is mounted in a plastic riser, that also serves as its mounting. it is very important that you save that part to mount your new speakers in.

The stock speakers can be easily removed from this mounting plate / riser. The stock speakers are just glued in.

As for a replacement head unit, I like the mid-range Pioneer units.

I have had several of them, and have never had a problem.

One question I do have, does your stock system have the "premium" sound system installed?

The easiest way to tell is that you will have sub-woofers mounted in the front doors.

If you do have the premium system, It will be a bit more work installing a head unit since all of the speakers are driven by an outboard amplifier.

1989 300E with chopped up wiring harness
 

I know exactly what you are talking about.

It is quite common for people who are unfamiliar with these cars to just ruin the harness.

I have had so many 124 series cars come in after having a store like Best Buy or Sears do an install.

Cutting wires that they do not know what they go to ...etc.
They have no idea just what wires actually run through that harness.

Wires from your SRS system and security system, just to name a few shares that harness.

Anyway, the best thing to do is to back trace the wires from the speakers backward.

The front and rear speaker wires should run back to the fader control, and then from the fader control to the radio.

Make sure you properly repair any splices that they put in.

I recommend using heat shrink tubing and soldering your wires back together rather than using crimp type connectors.
Crimp connectors can corrode after time and will cause you , or the next owner problems.

Once you solder and shrink wrap the wires, bundle them back up and I would suggest using 3M brand "friction" tape.

It closely matches the wire wrap used on your car.

Any good electrical supply outlet should be able to supply you with the proper wires, in the same colors as the ones in your harness going to the speakers and radio.

Ken,
I just purchased an '84 300SD and it still has the original Becker stereo and speakers.

Needles to say a upgrade is in order!

Luckily I came across this forum and found you, so I would like to order one of your custom harnesses so I can do this install correctly and maintain the car in its original condition.

How much do you charge for it and any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Jaeson

I have a 1990 420SEL that I purchased in September of this past year.

I have tried to live with the original audio system for the sake of keeping original, but I think I have lived with it as long as I can.

The most annoying thing is the fader in the dash which snaps crackles and pops, and sometimes cuts the rears out totally.

So, I suppose if I do this running new speaker wires is in my future.

This car has the six speaker system.

I fear getting the door panels off and not getting them reseated properly.

I feel this speakers will need to be replaced though, since they will be handling more wattage.

Any suggestions for replacements in this area will be appreciated.

As for the speakers in the dash and rear deck, I have two pair of MEMPHIS speakers that were installed in my '89SDL, that I assume will work in this car.

Please let me know if I am mistaken.

BTW, MEMPHIS speakers are amazing if you have never heard them, I had not until I bought the previous car that already had them in it.

I will probably go with an ALPINE head unit, as I am familiar with them and think they have great sound.

Lastly I have an old school Pioneer sub-woofer with an amp strapped to it that I plan on using in the trunk.

Any suggestions for parts or procedures would be greatly appreciated.

I am an audio/video tech, so I understand the audio part of what needs to be done, but I really do not have much aptitude when it comes to doing things to cars, so your input is greatly appreciated!

I disagree with the speakers comment. Its very difficult to find speakers that will fit properly in these cars and be well matched to the car. I would only suggest replacing them if: 1) There is a problem with them (buzzing, etc). 2) If the car does not have a sound system. and/or 3) You want to rewire the car and replace everything.

Otherwise, just replacing the head unit will yield a dramatic improvement in sound quality.

For early W126s (1981-1985), yes, replace the speakers... there are several nice 4x6 plate speakers that fit without major modification, and fit under the factory grills.

Later W126s (1986-), don't replace anything unless necessary. From the factory, these speakers are of reasonable quality and make good use of the enclosure they're in. For example, replacing the large round speakers on the rear deck is quite difficult due to their diameter. Aftermarket replacements are often very deep and hard to mount and seal properly. The amount of power needed to drive them, and air requirements around them, is very different. If you have a bad speaker, contact the dealer or Becker for a replacement... they're not as expensive as you'd think.

W126s with sound system (and W124s I think, not sure): You can identify these cars by the existence of factory door speakers. These cars have two amplifiers behind the back seat, one for left, one for right. The fader switch on the dash distributes the sound front/rear. So, the factory head unit only have a left and right pre-amp out. You can connect a modern stereo's preamp output to this connection with excellent results. You can make an adapter, or buy from from Becker Auto Sound. You've noticed a significant improvement in quality of sound by just replacing the head unit!

W124s from 1994-1995 (and some other cars like R129s, etc): These cars are equipped with the Becker Active Bass system. You might notice the front door speakers don't do much... thats because they are actually only bass speakers. There is an amp in the trunk which handles the distribution to all the speakers. This is a speaker-level amp, and a new stereo can be installed by connecting the speaker level outputs directly to the original connections. Don't use a pre-amp output here.

Special note about 1991-1993 cars: Its been mentioned here many times before, but these cars have a two-piece head unit. The second part in the the trunk where the tuner and pre-amp/speaker outputs are. If you install a new head unit, you need to run lines from the back of the car to the front. Becker used to sell kits for this purpose, not sure if they still do. Note that these cars can have the two-amp setup as described above.

Many amps and speakers are available at Becker Auto Sound for all these cars, and many are not very expensive.

Remember: These are all future classic cars: The more modification you do to them, the more you effect their value. Personally, I wouldn't buy a car that had its factory sound system modified.

Jaime

Remove the fader control, carefully take it apart, and clean it with contact cleaner. There is probably 20 years of crap in there! Worst case, buy a new one... you'll save yourself hours of work. This makes a big different in sound quality.

If you replace the head unit, connect the pre-out output to the three-pin connector removed from the original radio (left, right, ground). DON'T replace any speakers until you try this setup first!

Jaime

Would you mind telling me how to remove it?

1991 300E need help wiring replacement radio
 

Ken - I read your threads and hope you can help me.

I have a 1991 300E with an aftermarket Clarion DXZ275MP with the wire harness included for 4 speakers, power antenna, memory etc.

My 300E has 6 speakers - dash, doors, rear shelf along with the working fader wheel in the console all stock.

They cut and spliced into one of the speaker plugs and tapped into the power wires.

All of the plugs and wires are still here to re-solder and connect back even the plug that was cut.

I would like to rewire the Clarion directly into the 6 speakers: 4 on the front and two on the rear.

I cannot figure out which speaker wires are directly associated with each speaker and which is the ground wire.

There is a very, very thin black wire. Is that the ground?

If I decide to use a tap, which wires are for each of the 6 speakers?
Also can you make a harness for this so it can return to original when desired and how much would that be?

All of the Clarion information is on the INTERNET for their wire harness.
Thank you very much.
JRR

W126 STEREO
 

hi ken. Can you send me a stereo wiring diagram for a 1989 mercedes 560sel. I really need it I am installing a kenwood stereo and I cant find any diagrams on the web. Thanks!!!!!!

As the owner of a car audio facility in the 70's-Mid 90's I will tell you that at one time car audio was a vocation not taken lightly by those involved in it.

I did a lot of high end cars (Lots of 123's,124's, other German cars, Ferrari's, Lambos and other exotics.

We also did work with Bose at the beginning of their OEM car audio business.

I decided to get out when the chain stores started to offer installation for free and how can you compete with free.

I did high end stuff but the everyday stuff created the most income for my shop.

Most people did not realize the difference between free and installations that were properly done.

My rule when hiring installers was to ask them to explain to me Ohm's Law and if they couldn't I wouldn't hire them.

The other issue was that at one point in time we were replacing 75% of radios in cars.

As time went on and the OEM manufacturers caught on to the missed opportunities the amount of people we changed radios for decreased to an all time low of 3% and hence the whole industry went away.

Now you have small uncommitted shops that hire the cheapest workers they can and hence you have work done by idiots.

Usually in any large city you can find shops that do very good work but you must ask around and if so travel for that work.

Unfortunately there is no standard for car audio as for mechanics (ASE) and you are at your own risk when it comes to work done in this field.

I was sad to see this occur in the industry but I am glad to report I had a ball in that industry when it was in its heyday.

I applaud anyone committed to doing things right!!!!!

OK so I tried putting a new Alpine in my brothers '89 420SEL. Previous to trying this I knew nothing about gen 2 w126 stereos.

Well I figured out it has amp's lol.
I quickly figured out the line input's to the amps.
Left/right with a shared ground.
I hooked up the line out's on the Alpine to this connector and go no bass.
I made several adjustments on the Alpine to get more bass and nothing. Hooked it all back up to the Becker and it works as it should.

Where did the bass go?
It's a really nice Alpine and he would like to use it.
I have the same HU in my w124, so I know how to use it, and made every adjustment possible to get more volume and bass out of it...
no luck.

Ok my home email is macdrone@hotmail.com. how do you install head unit and have it not set off the alarm?

I hope this is the right place for this new member,

I bought my wifes 92 400E new, but without the CD player,
Later I acquired a new Benz correct Cd player and adapters to hook it up,

I had an issue with the radio going on by itself and running the battery down,

I had the rear amp and head unit repaired by the radioman in San Diego, works good,
So I tried to figure out how to hook up the CD unit,
I have the right side of the trunk pulled apart but don't see any place to hook it up,

Some help please.

Hi, Trying to repair a Sony quick install someone else did to my 1995 124 wagon.
I have only 2 rear door speakers working, no amp or front speakers connected.
You have some wiring color codes?
Charles

I just bought a 1992 300D 2.5 and I am planning on replacing the stock head unit with a Kenwood KIVBT900 and having xm radio installed as well.

What should I tell the installer to look out for?

Will the system have to be completely rewired and speakers replaced?

At the moment the cars speakers sound fine to me I just don't like listening to over the air radio.

Just my $0.02:

I tried rewiring my pioneer HU to work with the active bass system, so that all 6 speakers would work along with the amp in back to balance it out.

It did not work, even with the detailed wiring schematics.

The best advice I can give is to run new wire to the rear deck speakers and the dash speakers.

You'll bypass the fader in the process, 20+ year old wiring, odd impedances, and won't have to rip out all of the old stuff in the process.

Just tap into the power, ACC, and find a good ground and that is all the modification you'll have to do.

All of the posters in here asking for help, you need to realize these are generally stupidly complex systems (at least 86+) and you'll greatly benefit from taking an extra hour to run your own wires and solder all the connections.

Thanks for the reply. So this setup will basically render the base door speakers and amp inoperable??

If this is the case, would it be possible to add regular speakers to replace the door base speakers? TIA!

The problem I ran into was that there was unexpected resistance from the amplifier.

To be honest I'm not sure what sort of impedance the system is wired for, but I can assure you (at least with my setup) that my HU was very close to overheating after about a minute,
The speakers cut out at high volume--symptoms of unbalanced resistance.

You are correct - if you run new wires to all the speakers (including doors) you'll have this imbalance.

If you add the two door speakers and just splice them in (which is what it sounds like in your question) you'll basically force the head unit to put out double the power in one channel and normal in the other which is not good for it.

Keeping it just to the 2 front and 2 rear is by FAR simpler, and it is what most head units are wired for.

Bypassing the fader is a huge plus too--they get old and is another potential failure point (think old wiring) in the system.

IIRC the stock amp in the trunk is only 50 watts anyways, which is a typical output of many modern HUs.

IF one has the wiring figures out for the amp inputs for the active bass system. then with an aftermarket deck, all one would really need to do is convert the line level wires to the active bass amp to rya connections and run the output from the aftermarket decks rca wiring to send the signal to the factory amp. then use the regular powered speaker connections on the radio to power the front dash and rear speakers...

Shouldn't be too difficult.

I never had the factory amp for my door speakers in my car, but when I got it, everything wired through the fader in the console.

Of course I ripped it all out and ran aftermarket everything....

I have yet found the time to do a full rewire of my car. swapped my aftermarket stuff so many times and in such little time never bothered to truly clean it all up. one of these days I will, but at least it is all working for me.

Never had any issue with the factory alarm wire. just leave it disconnected and never use the factory alarm anyway. have an aftermarket unit.

a decent site for wiring schematics is www.the12volt.com.. you can also try signing up at http://techservices.audiovox.com which has a lot of wiring information on most cars... I have used both sites in the past and have always found some of the information useful...

I did exactly that, didn't work for me.
I could have messed something up too though, and there was a crappy bestbuy-ish installation from the PO of my car so who knows what went on there.

When I looked up in the FSM, there were literally 6 different wiring diagrams for the w124 depending on years and options :rolleyes: they couldn't just make it easy now, could they?

Total re-wire is the way to go for sure.
My system sounds fantastic now.

I wouldn't mind changing out the speakers, but I have a gen 2 W126.
The front speakers are of an odd shape and they have a low filter on them that make them work like tweeters in the system.

How would you find 4 ohm speakers to fit into that configuration and on top of that have the correct cross-over and filter?
Seems like you are pretty well stuck....

Hi Ken, I would also like to purchase one of your custom harnesses. Thanks, let me know the details.

Good afternoon guys, newbie here with a 1984 500SEL.
Just wanted to say thanks to everybody for the great info here.

I think I've learned more here by reading these posts then reading on-line.

Ken, I've sent you and email and am hoping you'll be able to respond.

I'll try to post and let you guys know what I am able to do and whether my story is able to help anybody in the future if this all works out.

Thanks a ton guys.

1986 420SEL Radio Replacement
 

Hi, I had the Becker Grand Prix repaired once, and it lasted about 2 years.

My speakers and fader seem to be OK, and I just want a radio with working AM and FM, CD maybe.

Can you suggest a unit for about $200 or Less, and advise how to connect it so the power antenna works and the OEM harness is not cut up?

Thanks.

Hi, thanks for your interest in all of our stereo systems.

I have a 1990 300D.

I have already had the head unit replaced (by Crutchfield itself).
Now I need to replace or repair the dashboard speakers.
Crutchfield informs me that they have no speakers for my car, since they need to be "5 inch metric" I figure that means 120mm.
My current speakers are OK, but they turn off and on as the car goes through curves.

I actually have no intention of installing new speakers myself, but it looks like I need to track down the right speakers myself.
Do you know where to get the right speakers?
And if I do have to go with smaller speakers, will a competent installer know how to retrofit them?

I am also fascinated by the idea of switching out the fader switch with an iPod hookup.
Assuming I have a fader switch, would that same competent installer be able to make this change?

Thanks for your help and advice!

I have a 1989 w124 I want I already have an aftermarket HU in my car it came with it when I bought it a couple of years ago...
I'm about to install a new one that I bought its the kenwood KDC-X494.

Last time I took out my HU was to connect some RCA's to the rear of the HU and the remote cable for the amp.
Like I said I want to replace the HU just wanted to know if you have a diagram or something that could let me know what each wire is for?
Not the ones on the HU I mean I got a diagram when I bought the HU but the wires in the car what do I connect to what?

if you could help please

-Thanks

1987 300TD Stereo Speaker Wiring
 

Hi Ken, Would have been beneficial to see your post earlier.

I've been reading through stereo installations on this site for the last three days attempting to determine how to wire a new stereo after having removed the Becker Grand Prix.

Very confusing after reading all the threads.

I've pulled the wires from the fader to behind the stereo receiver, cut the power connector off the harness and returned the connector to the back of the removed Becker.

The Becker's sound had static, base and treble do not want to operate on the unit and the sound comes and goes.

From what I've read wire colors and number of wires change from year to year.

It's a amazing that some express this wiring as self explanatory or straight forward!?

I've cut the first set of three ground wires in the fader harness and located another set of three soldered nearly all the way down in the rear of the harness.

This set of two blacks and Brown wires are so far back I'll have extreme difficulty cutting and stripping this set and add length to them.

Colors in the harness from the fader are; red-brown, brown, gray-blue, red/black, gray-brown, brown-black, green-black, black-white, and yellow-black.

There a two sets of three wires soldered with two blacks, one with gray wire and the other set has a brown wire.

Do you have a wiring diagram for this model year so I can determine where each of these wires go?
Thank you, -Tom

'95 E320 Convertible Rear Speaker Recommendations
 

As a new member, I can't thank you enough. This is a great site!

I recently purchased a '95 w124 convertible and I am repairing the roof hydraulics, so while the side panels are off I want to replace the stock speakers.

Do you have a brand and size recommendation? I do not plan on upgrading the head unit.

The front speakers are all set, I replaced them with Rainbow 4" back in Oct when I first bought the car.

Thank you in advance.

300sd 1985
 

Hello I have an original Becker stereo in my 85 and would like to be able to have bluetooth and I-pod capabilities.

what do you suggest for a HU?

door speakers for a 126 300SE
 

I am interested in installing a pair of front door speakers in my 300SE.
Is there a source for a set that would sit flush with the panel for an original look.

Most seem to protrude above the surface.
thanks

I'm changing the stereo and speakers in my 1987 300D instead of the ancient aftermarket kenwood.

I am going to rewire the speakers, but I'm not sure about the car's harness.

There are four wires that I am not sure what they are:

Red (12 switched?)

Brown (Ground?)

Black and Yellow (12 un-switched?)

Purple and Red (Dimmer control?)

I will try to figure out what they are, but I only have test light, not the multimeter

Hello,

In the following days I intend to purchase an alpine HU unit from Crutchfield.

I'm trying to figure out what my options for installation are as all three of the speakers on the passenger side do not work.

I tried trouble-shooting the problem by switching the output wires in the back of the HU to no avail, those speakers were still dead.

Does this mean that the amp in the trunk is fried?

If so, will the newly installed HU need to be wired directly to each speaker and/or the fader switch?

Thanks for any input!

Hi Ken,

I recently purchased a 1995 E320 and want to upgrade the stereo to include built in bluetooth phone support.

The Sony Mex-bt5700u unit I'm thinking of getting has an external microphone with a 6' cable.

I would like to snake the cable from the inside of the dash up to the driver side "C" pillar, so I can clip the Mic right next to the sun visor without showing the cable itself.

I'm thinking I'll need to open up the panels beneath the instrument cluster and then the padding on the pillar as well.

Any suggestion on how to remove these parts?

Much obliged!

Theo

CD for 1992 400E (124)
 

I have the correct CD changer for the car for the trunk mount.

Everything in the car is untouched original.

How do I hook this into my stock system/harnesses etc. came with the CD unit.
thanks

I'm not sure what you're asking as it sounds like a direct plug-in replacement from your description.

Do you mean you got an aftermarket head unit and you're asking if its compatible with the stock CD changer?

I would recommend giving Crutchfield a call, they can give you direct plug-in adapters for these cars.

Try the Becker sticky at the top of the audio/multimedia forum.
I assume your OE radio is a Becker.
I've got no personal experience, but feedback is that the support from Becker is good.
If you can't find what you need, try calling or e-mailing.

The schematic at this page might be what you need: http://www.beckerautosound.com/1432-1991/index_300CE_E.html

1992 400E CD
 

Thanks for the answers

My question is where are the wires located to plug my OEM CD in?
I have ther right side open and do not see them , are they on the left fender?